Sheet piling connectors

ABSTRACT

An extruded steel connector for connecting three sheet pilings has three spaced apart appendages radiating from a solid core. The angle between the appendages may vary, but should not be less than 30*. Each appendage includes a C-arm, spaced from a T-arm to form an oval opening having a restricted passage to the outer periphery of the connector. The T-arms of the pilings are received one in each oval opening. The core has a concave arcuate outer portion between adjacent appendages. The distance between the bottoms of adjacent openings is a maximum of four times the depth of the openings as measured from the outside of the connector.

finite States Patet Taylor [54] SHEET PILING CONNECTORS [72] Inventor:Rene A. Taylor, Mount Lebanon Twp., Allegheny Cty., Pa.

[73] Assignee: United States Steel Corporation,

[22] Filed: Oct. 21, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 82,667

[ Sept. 5, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 894,627 3/l944 France..6l/6l Primary Examinerl(enneth Downey AttorneyMartin J. Carroll [5 7]ABSTRACT An extruded steel connector for connecting three sheet pilingshas three spaced apart appendages radiating from a solid core. The anglebetween the appcndages may vary, but should not be less than 30. Eachappendage includes a C-arm, spaced from a T- arm to form an oval openinghaving a restricted passage to the outer periphery of the connector TheT-arms of the pilings are received one in each oval opening. The corehas a concave arcuate outer portion between adjacent appendages. Thedistance between the bottoms of adjacent openings is a maximum of fourtimes the depth of the openings as measured from the outside of theconnector.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 5 I972 3.688.508

sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR. RENE A.

SHEET PILING CONNECTORS This invention relates to sheet pilingconnectors and more particularly to extruded steel connectors. In makingfoundations for permanent structures in water, cofferdams consisting ofinterconnecting cells are used to temporarily exclude water from thesite. Such cofferdams are also frequently used as permanent dock wallsor bulkheads because of construction and cost advantages over othertypes. One form of cofferdam consists of a series of large diametercircular or generally elliptical cells constructed of interlocking steelsheet piling and filled with sand, gravel or rock. In order to make theline of cells continuous, they are connected front and back by shortwalls of steel sheet piling with the space between the walls beingfilled with the same material as the main cells. The connecting piecebetween the circular cell and the arcs is usually in the shape of a wyeor tee. These wye or tee sections normally are made by welding orriveting a stem to the regular piling section. The stem is normallyobtained by splitting a section of the regular piling. Connectors ofthis type are shown in United States Steel 1968 Catalogue on Steel SheetPiling, particularly on pages 32, 33, 35 and 36. The pressure from thefill creates a hoop stress around the periphery of the cell which isresisted by the strength of the individual piling sections. Anadditional large and mostly indeterminable stress is applied at theconnectors due to the pull on the stem caused by the fill inside theconnecting arcs previously referred to. In the present design theconnector stem is placed at approximately a central position along theweb of the main section. This location creates stresses that act as abending force in the web area of the main section. In the welded wye ortee, the stresses created by the forces on the stem tend to separate thesteel fibers and also to bend the pile in the web area. In the rivetedtee or wye the holes punched in the main section for riveting tend toweaken its resistance to the hoop stresses and bending stresses referredto earlier. This tee or wye is also subject to the same dangerousbending stresses in the web area of the main section as the weldedsection. Thus, the fabricated connector is the weakest part of this typeof cofferdam and is most frequently the point of failure in a cofferdam.In addition to these disadvantages the fabricated connector is expensiveto make.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide extruded sheetpiling connectors which are stronger and cheaper to make than thefabricated connectors.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the connector of my inventionshowing it connecting sheet piling;

FIG. 2 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, showing a second embodiment of myinvention; and

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, showing a third embodiment of myinvention.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral2 indicates an extruded steel connector of my invention. Lengths ofsheet piling 4 and 6 forming part of a usual cell are connected by theconnector 2. A third length of sheet piling 8 is connected to theconnector 2 and forms part of a connecting wall. Connector 2 includes asolid core 10 and three spaced apart appendages 12, 14 and 16 radiatingfrom the core. The appendages 12, 14 and 16 include C- arms 12C, 14C and16C and T-arms 12T, MT and 16T spaced from their associated .C-arms toform oval openings 12A, 14A and 16A, respectively. Restricted passages12P, 14F and 16? lead from the openings 12A, 14A and 16A to the outerperiphery of the connector. The lengths of sheet piling 4, 6 and 8include T- arms 4T, 6T and 8T which are received in openings 12A, 14Aand 16A in the usual manner. The core 10 has a concave arcuate outerportion 18 between the C- arms 12C and 14C, a concave arcuate outerportion 20 between T-arm l2T and C-arm 16C, and a concave arcuate outerportion 22 between T-arms MT and 16T. These concave portions arenecessary to reduce the weight of the connector, to eliminate stressareas and to facilitate extrusion of the connector. The distance betweenthe bottoms of adjacent openings is a maximum of four times the depth Dof said openings as measured from the outside of said connector. Thisreduces the weight of the connector to make it easier to handle, cheaperto extrude, and less likely to be damaged. The central load line 24 frompilings 4 and 6 are in alignment and pass through appendages 12 and 14.Central load line 26 from piling 8 passes through the appendage 16 andintersects the load line 24 at an angle 28 of 30. In this embodiment theangle 28 may be greater than, but not less than 40". It will be seenthat the longitudinal center of mass of the connector is displaced fromthe intersection of the load lines 24 and 26. This results in betterload distribution and enables the weight of the connector to be less.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings reference numeral 29 indicates asecond connector of my invention. Lengths of sheet piling 30 and 32forming part of a cell are connected by the connector 29. A third lengthof sheet piling 34 is connected to the connector 28 and forms part of aconnecting wall. Connector 29 includes a solid core 36 and three spacedapart appendages 38, 40 and 42 similar to the appendages of the firstembodiment with oval openings 38A, 40A and 42A for receiving the T-armsof the sheet pilings 30, 32 and 34. The core 36 has a concave arcuateouter portion 44 between T-arms 38T and 40T, a concave arcuate outerportion 46 between C-arms 40C and 42C, and a concave arcuate outerportion 48 between C-arm 38C and T-arm 42-T. The distance between thebottoms of adjacent openings is a maximum of four times the depth of theopening as measured from the outside of the connector as in the firstembodiment. The central load line 50 from pilings 30 and 32 are inalignment and pass through appendages 38 and 40. Central load line 52from piling 34 passes through the appendage 42 and intersects the loadline 50 at an angle of As in the first embodiment the longitudinalcenter of the pass of the connector is displaced from the intersectionof the load lines 50 and 52.

Referring now to FIG. 3 reference numeral 54 indicates a third connectorof my invention. Lengths of sheet piling 56, 58 and 60 are connected bythe connector 54. Preferably two of these lengths of sheet piling formpart of a cell with the third length forming part of a connecting wall.Connector 54 includes a solid extruded core 62 and three spaced apartappendages 64, 66 and 68, similar to the appendages of the other twoembodiments and including openings 64A, 66A and 68A for receiving theT-arms of the pilings 56, 58 and 60. The core 62 has a concave arcuateouter portion 70 between C-arms 64C and 66C, a concave arcuate outerportion 72 between T-arms 66T and 68T, and a concave outer portion 74between T-arm MT and C-arm 68C. Also, as in the first embodiment thedistance between the bottoms of adjacent openings is the maximum of fourtimes the depth of the openings as measured from the outside of theconnector. Central load line 76 from piling 56 passes through theappendage 64, central load line 78 from piling 58 passes throughappendage 66.; and central load line 80 from piling 60 passes throughappendage 68 with the three load lines intersecting at point 82. Theload lines are spaced 120 apart and their intersection is displaced fromthe longitudinal center of the mass of the connector.

The three embodiments are necessary to take care of those installationswhich most commonly occur with the connectors of FIGS. 2 and 3 havingsubstantially all the advantages of the connector of FIG. 1. In order toenable the invention to be easier to visualize the drawings have beenmade three-fourths full size to scale. It will be apparent from thedrawings that each sheet piling has a C-arm spaced from its T-arm toprovide an oval opening having a restricted passageway to its outerperiphery. The width and depth of the oval opening in the piling issubstantially greater than that of the head of the connector T-arm andthe width and depth of the oval opening in the connector issubstantially greater than that of the head of the piling T-arm. Alsothe width of the restricted openings of the connector and piling aresubstantially greater than the supporting legs of the mating pilingT-head and the mating connector T-head, respectively.

While three embodiments of my invention have been shown and described,it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An extruded connector for connecting three sheet pilings each havinga T-arm and a C-arm spaced from the T-arm to form an oval opening havinga restricted passage to the outer periphery of said sheet piling; saidconnector comprising a solid core, and three spaced apart appendagesradiating from said core, each appendage including a C-arm and a T-armspaced from said C-arm to form an oval opening having a restrictedpassage to the outer periphery of said connector, each of said ovalopenings having a width and depth sufficient to receive the T-arrns ofsaid pilings, the width and depth of said connector oval opening beingsubstantially greater than the head of said piling T-arm and the widthof said restricted passage being substantially greater than thesupporting leg of said piling T-arm, said core having a concave arcuateouter portion between adjacent appendages the distance between thebottoms of adjacent openings being a maximum of four times the depth ofsaid openings as measured from the outside of said connector, the headof each T-arm extending substantially the same distance from each sideof its leg, the width and depth of the piling oval opening beingsubstantially greater than that of the head of said connector T-arm andthe width of said piling restricted opening being substantially greaterthan the supporting leg of said connector T-arm each head of saidconnector T-arm being adapted to bear against the C-arm and one side ofthe head of the associated piling T-arm and the C-arm of said connectorbeing adapted to bear against the other side of the head of theassociated piling T-arrn, the longitudinal center of mass of saidconnector being displaced from the intersection of the load lines fromthe pilings being connected.

2. An extruded connector according to claim 1 in which the central loadlines from two of said pilings through two of said appendages are inalignment and the central load line from the third piling through thethird appendage is at an acute angle thereto so that the third appendageis closer to one of said two appendages than to the other of said twoappendages, the C-arm of one of said closely spaced appendages beingadjacent the T-arm of the other closely spaced appendage.

3. An extruded connector according to claim 1 in which the load linesare arranged apart, the T- arms of two adjacent appendages are adjacenteach other, the T-arm of of the other appendage being adjacent the C-armof one of the said adjacent appendages and its C-arm being adjacent theC-arm of the other of said adjacent appendages.

ll IIK i

1. An extruded connector for connecting three sheet pilings each havinga T-arm and a C-arm spaced from the T-arm to form an oval opening havinga restricted passage to the outer periphery of said sheet piling; saidconnector comprising a solid core, and three spaced apart appendagesradiating from said core, each appendage including a C-arm and a T-armspaced from said C-arm to form an oval opening having a restrictedpassage to the outer periphery of said connector, each of said ovalopenings having a width and depth sufficient to receive the T-arms ofsaid pilings, the width and depth of said connector oval opening beingsubstantially greater than the head of said piling T-arm and the widthof said restricted passage being substantially greater than thesupporting leg of said piling T-arm, said core having a concave arcuateouter portion between adjacent appendages the distance between thebottoms of adjacent openings being a maximum of four times the depth ofsaid openings as measured from the outside of said connector, the headof each T-arm extending substantially the same distance from each sideof its leg, the width and depth of the piling oval opening beingsubstantially greater than that of the head of said connector T-arm andthe width of said piling restricted opening being substantially greaterthan the supporting leg of said connector T-arm, each head of saidconnector T-arm being adapted to bear against the Carm and one side ofthe head of the associated piling T-arm and the C-arm of said connectorbeing adapted to bear against the other side of the head of theassociated piling T-arm, the longitudinal center of mass of saidconnector being displaced from the intersection of the load lines fromthe pilings being connected.
 2. An extruded connector according to claim1 in which the centraL load lines from two of said pilings through twoof said appendages are in alignment and the central load line from thethird piling through the third appendage is at an acute angle thereto sothat the third appendage is closer to one of said two appendages than tothe other of said two appendages, the C-arm of one of said closelyspaced appendages being adjacent the T-arm of the other closely spacedappendage.
 3. An extruded connector according to claim 1 in which theload lines are arranged 120* apart, the T-arms of two adjacentappendages are adjacent each other, the T-arm of of the other appendagebeing adjacent the C-arm of one of the said adjacent appendages and itsC-arm being adjacent the C-arm of the other of said adjacent appendages.